Since the very early invention of coins at the dawn of civilization (e.g., clay and early metal coins), it has been a burden for many to count, carry, save and reuse coins. Consequently many inventions have been developed over the years to overcome most of these problems related to coins. Two of the most commonly used inventions relating to coin counting, sorting, and carrying, are coin wrapping papers and coins counting machines.
Coin wrapping papers are probably the most commonly used method of grouping and storing coins today. These wrappers have remained largely unchanged for decades, with exception of pre-formed paper coin “tubes” which have recently come into use. However, this primitive method of coin storage suffers from a number of fundamental problems, regardless of whether flat papers or pre-formed tubes are used.
Coin papers require that the user first form the paper into a tube and then insert a standard amount coinage (e.g., 50 pennies, 40 nickels, or the like). There is no way for the user to determine how many coins are in the tube, other than to count the coins, weigh the tube, or somehow measure the tube height. All three of these techniques are inaccurate.
Moreover, there is no way for a bank or subsequent user to know whether there are in fact the stated number of coins in a coin roll once it has been filled. Unscrupulous persons may fill a coin roll with slugs or other worthless items, and put coins on each end. Unless the subsequent user breaks open the roll, they have no way of checking the contents of the coin roll. For a $10 roll of quarters, the potential loss for the subsequent user could be large. For this reason, many banks no longer accept rolled coins, except from account holders, and even then only if the account holder initials each roll. Retail merchants may accept such rolls only if they are broken open, necessitating counting of individual coins.
While consumers can utilize newer technology such as the retail coin counting machines found in Supermarkets and the like to dispose of their excess change, retail merchants still rely upon coin tubes to obtain a supply of change or tokens for use in their businesses. Thus, a need still exists for some form of coin storage container to handle counted amounts of coins in an easy-to handle format.
Pre-rolled paper tubes are somewhat better in that they are easier to load with coins, but they still suffer from the same problems as the flat paper coin rolls as noted above. In addition to these problems, pre-rolled coin tubes are bulky and difficult to store. In addition, both flat and pre-rolled tubes cannot be used for partial amounts of coinage, only for their stated full amounts. Moreover, paper coin wrappers cannot be re-used and thus are expensive and wasteful.
As a result of the problems with paper coin rolls, many in the Prior Art have tried to come up with improved ways for counting, storing, and handling coins.
Coins counting machines are complicated in design and production. Recalibration and maintenance of the device is necessary on a regular basis. Retail coin counting machines charge the user a fee, usually based on a percentage of coins counted (e.g., 5%) and thus can be expensive to use. A less complicated method of counting, sorting, and storing coins is needed.
There are many patents describing containers for coins counting. Hall, U.S. Pat. No. 4,339,071 issued Jul. 13, 1982, and incorporated herein by reference, discloses a Coin Bank. This coin bank provides a series of clear plastic half-tubes which may be used to stack coins and load paper coin rolls. The height of each tube is calibrated with an inner member so that a full stack of coins will provide the appropriate amount of coinage for a standard paper coin roll. There are a number of disadvantages to this design. To begin with, it is only a aid to filling paper coin rolls, not a coin holder per se. As it is calibrated only for full rolls, one cannot use the device to count coins. The size and weight of the device make it somewhat expensive and impractical for portable use. Its open design, intended for filling coin paper rolls, would allow coins to fall out if it were carried by a consumer on their person.
Hayden, U.S. Pat. No. 519,948 issued May 1, 1884, and incorporated herein by reference, discloses a coin tray. This coin tray appears to be formed by making a number of half-round grooves in a piece of wood or the like, each groove corresponding to a different denomination of coin. The apparatus is provided with indicia for indicating the amount of each denomination, and thus may be useful for counting less than roll-size amounts of coins. However, as coin counter, the apparatus is not suitable for portable storage, as it is too large, heavy, bulky, expensive, and would allow the coins to fall out once moved.
Chang, U.S. Pat. No. 4,545,394, issued Oct. 8, 1985, and incorporated herein by reference, discloses a coin counter trough. This trough is designed to be used with multiple coin sizes, but is little more than coin counter. Purifoy, U.S. Pat. No. D,303,863, issued Oct. 3, 1989, and incorporated herein by reference, discloses another variation on a slot type coin counter.
Duran, U.S. Pat. No. 3,346,109 issued Oct. 10, 1967, and incorporated herein by reference, discloses a clear view coin pack. The tube, made of plastic or glass, is provided with indicia and a snap-on or screw-off top. The Duran apparatus is too heavy and expensive to be thrown away or given away to consumers. Moreover, it requires a separate tube for each denomination of currency. In addition, the cap must be removed as additional coins are inserted.
Kelley, U.S. Pat. No. 4,036,358, issued Jul. 19, 1977, and incorporated herein by reference, discloses a clear view coin wrap. This coin wrap actually appears to be a hard plastic tube with indicia on the side for indicating the number of coins inserted. A removable funnel-top may be replaced with a snap-in lid to prevent the coins from falling out. While an interesting design and concept, the Kelley coin tube suffers from a number of disadvantages. To begin with, a fairly rigid and thick plastic casing would be needed (as shown) to hold the snap in funnel and lid. Thus the weight and cost of the apparatus would be significant. Such an apparatus would not likely be given away with a roll of coins due to its high cost. In addition, there does not appear to be any means of organizing and holding multiple numbers of such tubes together for storage.
Barnhart et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,240,544, issued Dec. 30, 1980, and incorporated herein by reference, discloses a coin holder. A compliant plastic with a number of inner facing ribs is provided to grip and hold coins in a roll. The apparatus is provided in two halves which hinge together. Curiously, the Patent does not appear to disclose any means for maintaining the apparatus in a close position. One disadvantage of this apparatus is that it requires that the device be opened in order to insert additional coins. Each opening may wear on a plastic hinge, reducing the life of the product.
Wallace, U.S. Pat. No. 4,290,523, issued Sep. 22, 1981, and incorporated herein by reference, discloses a coin holder. Like the Barnhart Patent listed above, the Wallace Patent discloses a design with a plastic hinge and two halves which may be separated. Wallace, however, appears to make his apparatus out of a thick (e.g., injection-molded) plastic and illustrates a plastic tab mechanism for closing the device. Openings and indicia allow a lesser number of coins than a full stack to be counted. However, given the heavy plastic in this design, it does not lend itself to give-away or disposable use. Moreover, the apparatus requires opening and closing whenever additional coins are inserted, which would tend to wear out the plastic hinge and plastic tab.
Lemaire, U.S. Pat. No. 4,183,432, issued Jan. 15, 1980, and incorporated herein by reference, discloses a reusable container for coins and tokens. Lemaire also discloses a folding plastic coin container with a plastic hinge, but with multiple snap closures. No indicia are provided in the apparatus, and opening and closing of the hinge are require to insert additional coins.
Lemaire, U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,275, issued Sep. 28, 1999, and incorporated herein by reference, discloses another variation on the plastic holder. This design uses two interlocking lids for closure. Again, no indicia are provided and the apparatus must be opened and closed to add additional coins.
Rhodin, U.S. Pat. No. 3,776,375, issued Dec. 4, 1973 and incorporated herein by reference, discloses a blister package. This patent is not directed toward a coin holder, but rather generic blister packaging, which is generally designed to be sealed for one-time use.
A requirement thus remains in the art for an apparatus which is inexpensive enough to be disposable or given away by banks and the like, while still being strong enough for multiple uses. In addition, there is still a need in the art for an apparatus which can be used for various coin amounts less than a full roll size. Moreover, there is still a need in the art for a coin holder than can be easily loaded.